I love the I Heart Faces photo challenges even though I don’t participate as often as I’d like. But this week’s challenge seemed fun and very timely for me and I couldn’t let it pass me by.
Recently, Emmalynn realized she can make a heart with her fingers and she is quite proud of her new found talent. Seeing her freckled face smile peeking through her little heart-shaped fingers warms my heart.
It’s the best Valentine’s Day gift ever.
I heart the color yellow because it is such a warm, inviting color. In every home I have lived in, there has always been a yellow room to warmly welcome everyone who passed through the door. Like sunbeams gleaming through a window, shades of yellow always greet you with a sunny smile.
As I searched for photo a for this week’s I Heart Faces Yellow Challenge, so many wonderful warm, sunny yellow moments came to mind. Emmalynn and Allana twirling in a yellow princess gown pretending to be Belle or Allana tap dancing to Happy Feet at her first recital or yellow handprint duck paintings at a spring play date.
But since yellow is such a sunny, warm color that also makes me think of warm, sunny summer days at the beach, I decided to submit this photo of Allana for the challenge. Much like the sun and the color yellow, this photo warms me all over.
Ever since the day Emmalynn was born, Allana has been the best big sister a little sister could ever ask for. When Emmalynn was a baby, she would want to hold her and cuddle her constantly. Five years later, she still loves to hold and cuddle her little sister. Allana enjoys playing Mother Hen and taking care of Emmalynn in such a tender way that would warm any mama’s heart.
When I see the expression of love caught in this old photo, it comforts me like a cozy blanket. With a new baby brother on the way, I know Allana will gaze at her baby brother with this same loving look and once again, she will want to hold and cuddle our new baby every moment she can. I just hope Emmalynn will share that same feeling towards her baby brother.
I hope I can capture a photo of two big sisters gazing lovingly at their baby brother.
Proudly submitted at
Having an uber talented photographer friend, like Kelly, has helped cultivate and grow my photography skills tremendously. When Kelly introduced me to the idea of angles and off-centered shots, I began clicking away trying to give it my best shot. I soon discovered angles actually work really well when trying to capture a photo of Emmalynn. She never sits still long enough to snap a portrait and if she does, she usually makes some silly face.
Like I said, when just trying to snap a quick photo - any photo of Emmalynn – angle shots work really well and the results are usually fun stunning pretty darn good for an amateur with a point-and-click camera like me.
Proudly submitted at
This Week’s I ♥ Faces couldn’t better describe our winter this season! With record lows here in the Tampa Bay area this winter, we’ve spent the past few months very bundled up, but for Floridians, that means wearing closed toes shoes on a daily basis rather than flip-flops. Although this past January, we had to dust off the Uggs on a few occasions as there were reports of snow flurries as far south as Naples, which is simply absurd for the Sunshine State.
However, my family and I have seen more than our share of snow flurries for the past two winters. Every January, we travel to North Carolina to experience a real winter complete with snow boots, snow pants, water resistant mittens, long johns and lots of performance fleece. After spending a week in 10 degree temperatures, 30 degrees feel like a heat wave.
Ladybugs always seem to be on hand where ever our travels take us. Since ladybugs are a sign of good luck, I feel very fortunate whenever one of these little lovely hitchhikers lands on us. They are small reminders of how blessed my life is.
*Happily submitted at I ♥ Faces*
“This week, the focus is off the face and onto the hands. And, for this week only, faces aren’t even required to be in the photo. Show off those teeny-tiny baby hands, chubby toddler hands, the soothing hands of a mama or the gnarled, wise hands of a grandfather. “
Every week, I visit I Heart Faces and promise to participate in the challenge, but I then I get distracted and forget to submit my photos. But not this week! Although this week’s challenge seemed relatively easy, it was difficult to narrow down my favorite places.
England
About 5 years ago, we traveled to Chester, England for my friend, Suzie’s, wedding. During our holiday, we drove to Edinburgh, Scotland (where Allan was born), York (the city where I completed my final teaching internship) and visited Whitby (Allan’s hometown). Although I had seen many pictures of Whitby, it wasn’t until I physically stepped foot in the town that I understood why Allan gets homesick. Since my college days, I have always loved England, but I fell in love with little quaint little sleepy seaside town. Honestly, pictures do not do it justice and simply cannot reflect the beauty of Whitby. Someday we’ll own a small little cottage summer home there visit again.
New Orleans
Can you believe I spent a weekend in New Orleans and this is the best picture with “faces” I can find? These cute little Jamie Hayes voodoo dolls were more willing models than my DH.
This southern city is truly full of soul in more ways than one. New Orleans has the best food, best music and the best people. I’m planning a trip back to the Big Easy for my 40th birthday in 2011.
BTW…Good luck to the Saints in the Super Bowl! Who dat?!
New York City
Last year, we were fortunate to spend two kid-free weekends in New York City. Our May trip was Allan’s first time in the Big Apple. He usually doesn’t like having his photo taken, but he willingly posed for this shot. Look closely at the photo to see why Allan thought he was being so clever.
The Beach
I love the beach and so do my girls. Thank heavens we live in a state that is almost surrounded with soft sand and beautiful blue water. I can’t wait for the warm weather to arrive so we can start packing the beach bags and head for the waves again.
Disney
Living in Florida, you either take for granted that you live in a state with miles of beautiful beaches and Mickey Mouse or your take full advantage of it. It’s been a year since our last trip to the Magic Kingdom and I miss the magic. Therefore for Mother’s Day this year, I requested a weekend at Disney.
Camping
Both Allan and I camped as kids, but until our friends, Erika and John, reintroduced us to the idea of camping a few years ago, we had forgotten how much we loved it. Now, we camp a couple times of year with our friends and it’s something we all look forward to, except when it’s raining.
North Carolina
We can also thank our friends, Erika and John, for our love for North Carolina. For the past three years, our two families have enjoyed sharing a cabin and playing in the snow in the Blue Ridge Mountains. However, last month was probably our final trip to the mountains for awhile. We’ll have to see if our next little one will be an intrepid traveler, car sleeper or car screamer like his/her sisters were as infants. Another car screamer would make me head for the hills for sure! Fingers crossed we can return to North Carolina in 2011.
Hooters
So, I cheated a little with this one, because my friend and absolutely FABULOUS photographer, Kelly, took this family photo. I really love Hooters, however, my pregnancy nose can’t stand the smell of chicken or fried food, so I’m really missing sunsets over the Gulf and hot wings and pitchers of beer at the New Port Richey Hooters these days. Food aversions really stink. (No pun intended.)
Home
Dorothy said it best. There’s no place like home. As much as I love to travel, it feels so good to come back to the comforts of home after any trip.
Also submitted at…
When I saw this week’s I ♥ Faces Contest Halloween photo challenge, I instantly knew which picture to pick.
When Allana was five years old, she was obsessed with The Wizard of Oz and wanted to dress as Dorothy for Halloween. We borrowed the costume from a friend, stumbled upon some ruby slippers at Target and found a Toto on-line. Since her little one year old sister, Emmalynn, was too young to have an opinion about costumes, I dressed her in a pink gown to play the part of Glinda. She wore a tall silver crown and carried a sequined star wand to complete the ensemble but the crown wouldn’t stay on her head. As for the wand, well that simply tasted too good.
One evening, I posed my daughters for pictures on the bale of hay on our doorstep for a Halloween photo shoot. Each photo was better than the next, but this photo was my favorite. I love their smiley faces!
When I look at this photo from three Halloweens ago, I get a pang in my heart. The years go by way too fast!
This is my first time particpating in the I ♥ Faces Contest. When I saw this week’s theme, I had to participate because my youngest LOVES to make funny faces. I couldn’t begin to tell you the number of family portraits she has sabotaged by sneaking in crossed eyes or sticking out her tongue. She’s my little goofball, my little comedian and her silly faces and expressions always makes me chuckle. Well, I may not chuckle at that particular moment, but months later when I look back at the photos, I find myself laughing at all her funny faces.
